Cape Town Street Circuit

Cape Town Street Circuit at a glance

Location

Cape Town, Western Cape

Type

street circuit

Length

2.921 km (1.815 mi)

Turns

12

Direction

clockwise

Surface

asphalt (public roads)

Opened

2023

Owner

City of Cape Town / FIA Formula E Operations (event-specific)

Address

Green Point, around Cape Town Stadium

Track map and layout

The Cape Town Street Circuit is a temporary 2.921 km, 12-turn track laid out on public roads in the Green Point/Waterfront district, circling close to Cape Town Stadium with Signal Hill as a backdrop. Built for Formula E, it was designed as one of the fastest circuits on that championship's calendar, with an average race speed over 150 km/h thanks to long, sweeping sections between the tighter stadium-area corners. As a temporary circuit, it exists only for event weekends and is not open to traffic or racing between bookings.

Configurations

Events and race weekends

The circuit hosted its first and so far only race, the Cape Town ePrix, on 25 February 2023 as round five of the 2022-23 Formula E season, becoming the first Formula E event held in Sub-Saharan Africa. No race was held in the 2023-24 or 2024-25 seasons after financial and organisational issues delayed a planned return. As of mid-to-late 2026, talks between Cape Town organisers and Formula E Operations continue over a possible race in early 2026, but nothing is confirmed on the official calendar.

Getting there and parking

The circuit sits in Green Point, within walking distance of the V&A Waterfront and a short drive from central Cape Town. Cape Town International Airport is around 25-30 minutes away by road. Public transport options (MyCiTi bus routes) serve the Waterfront/Green Point area, though event-day road closures should be expected given the street-circuit format.

• Cape Town International Airport (CPT) · about 25 min drive

Parking

Street parking near a temporary circuit is heavily restricted on event days; organisers typically direct spectators to designated parking areas and shuttle or MyCiTi bus services rather than driving directly to the venue.

Use the MyCiTi bus network or walk from the Waterfront rather than driving, since race-weekend road closures affect much of the surrounding Green Point area.

Hotels and camping near Cape Town Street Circuit

Cape Town city centre, the V&A Waterfront and Green Point itself offer the widest and most convenient choice of hotels for anyone attending an event here, all within easy walking or short driving distance of the circuit. There is no camping or RV provision at this urban temporary circuit.

Where to look

Green Point and the V&A Waterfront (closest, walkable to the circuit) or central Cape Town (short drive/MyCiTi ride away, widest hotel choice).

Track days, driving experiences and lap records

There is no public track-day access; this is a temporary street circuit built from public roads only for the Formula E event weekend, and it reverts to normal city traffic outside race dates.

Lap records

Spectator guide

Grandstands were erected around the Cape Town Stadium precinct and along the waterfront sections of the 2023 layout, giving spectators views against a backdrop of Signal Hill and Table Mountain. Ticketing and seating for any future event would follow Formula E's usual grandstand and fan-village format used at other E-Prix rounds.

Seating

Temporary grandstands around the stadium and waterfront sections for the 2023 event; layout for any future race would likely be similar.

Best places to watch

Areas near Cape Town Stadium gave the best combination of racing action and Table Mountain/Signal Hill scenery in 2023.

Weather

• Feb (event month in 2023): warm, dry Cape summer, highs around 25-27°C with a chance of strong southeasterly wind

History of Cape Town Street Circuit

Africa's first Formula E race

The Cape Town Street Circuit was built for a single purpose: bringing Formula E to Sub-Saharan Africa for the first time. Laid out on public roads in Green Point, around Cape Town Stadium and with Signal Hill as a backdrop, the temporary 2.921 km, 12-turn circuit hosted the inaugural Cape Town ePrix on 25 February 2023 as round five of the 2022-23 season. The race was notable for its high average speeds, among the fastest on the Formula E calendar that year, and for the scenic setting that made it an instant favourite with television audiences.

A one-off so far

Despite the successful debut, Cape Town did not appear on the Formula E calendar for the 2023-24 or 2024-25 seasons. Reports pointed to financial and organisational complications between the host city, promoters and Formula E Operations that prevented a planned second edition from going ahead, even though talks around a return were reportedly advanced at points during those seasons.

An uncertain but live prospect

As of the second half of 2026, Cape Town remains the only Formula E venue South Africa or Sub-Saharan Africa has hosted, and ongoing discussions between organisers and Formula E point to a possible return as early as the first months of 2026, though nothing has been confirmed on the official calendar. Because the circuit exists only as closed public roads for event weekends, there is nothing permanent to visit between races — the venue effectively comes into being only when an E-Prix is scheduled.

Frequently asked questions

Other tracks nearby

• Killarney International Raceway · 14 km · road course
• East London Grand Prix Circuit (Prince George Circuit) · 882 km · street circuit